


Downpour

by EmberForge



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Drowning, Takes place post-Nicodranas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 04:30:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17297798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmberForge/pseuds/EmberForge
Summary: Memories can be brought back by the most unexpected things.





	Downpour

It's such a stupid thing.

Caleb's helping Caduceus tend to the horses. Usually it would be Fjord in his place, but the man was currently off fishing with Nott at the nearby river. Some of the locals from the previous town had told them that it was the best fishing for miles around, and Nott and Fjord were quick to head off and settle a heated debate over fishing techniques. Beau and Jester were eager to follow and watch the spectacle, but Caleb knew better than to spend an afternoon by the water. He had decided to avoid any more comments about his bathing habits by staying as far away from the group and the river as possible. 

The grey clouds overhead gave a distant rumble, and Caleb's thoughts idly went towards Yasha. She had left again earlier that day- probably to chase something in the approaching storm. She had been practically vibrating by the time they docked onto dry land for the final time, about a week ago now. He really couldn’t blame her.

The sky opened up overhead, and the air around him went from quickly filled with freezing rain. It was as if buckets of ice water were being thrown from the sky. His hair was plastered to his face within seconds, and Caleb gasped as rivers of water started pouring down, blurring his vision, running down his nose and mouth, and cascading off of his chin. When he blinked again, he was no longer in the clearing, but face down in a pool of water. He instinctively tried to take in a breath, but his lungs immediately were filled with water, and he had the horrible sensation of no oxygen before his vision went black. A second later, he opened his eyes again to the pool of water, and again tried to take in a breath. Choking. Blackness. Over, and over, and over.

After what felt like ages, he stopped feeling water on his face. It abruptly broke the cycle he was in, and when he came back to reality with a gasp, he realized that he was now wearing a big floppy hat. Caduceus was standing in front of him, a concerned expression on his face. “You back with me, Mr. Caleb?”

Caleb tried hard to get his breathing back under control. “Ya, uh, yes. That was... not a memory I would have anticipated losing myself in.”

Caduceus smiled kindly. “Let’s get you out of the rain, okay?”

The pair made their way back to camp, and Caleb crouched under one of the tents they had set up previously. Caduceus was digging through his own bag as Caleb pulled out a tiny bead and prepared to cast. “You’re sure you want to do that now?”

“Ya. It’s getting pretty late, and we got the horses settled for the night. I don’t anticipate needing to leave. Then we’ll be able to get a fire going as well.” After a minute, the ground around them dried as a glowing dome appeared around them. 

Caduceus silently handed Caleb a spare cloth to dry off with before expertly starting a fire and settling his kettle near the base. Caleb still looked a bit pale when he turned back to him, the wizard’s eyes locked onto tea kettle as steam slowly began to rise from it. The rain had slowed down some since getting back to camp, and the patter it made as it hit the dome was almost hypnotic.

“So. Do you want to talk about it, or would you like to be distracted from it?” Caduceus fixed Caleb a cup of tea, then settled on the ground with his own cup a few feet away.

“I, ah, I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that it’s usually fire that sets me off, so this was surprising even to me. It was... I felt the cold water on my face, and suddenly I was back in the Sluiceweave under Nicodranas, drowning over and over again. I don’t... we were on open seas for weeks, we even went diving in the _ocean_ and fought a sea witch while doing it, and this didn’t happen to me then. So why now?”

“Sometimes the strangest things can bring back old memories. You can do the same thing a hundred times, and only on the hundred and first time might it trigger something in you. It doesn’t suddenly make you weak. It just happens, and you deal with it, and do your best to move forward.”

“That is very wise. You sound very familiar with this.”

“I mean, wouldn’t say I’m an expert by any means. But I’ve met many people dealing with trauma and grief, old and new. A man once visited his wife’s grave every day for a year, utterly stoic, until one day the light shone through the trees in just the right way on some bluebells nearby and they reminded him of her eyes. Dealing with trauma is tricky and inconsistent, and hardly ever logical.”

“Thank you, Caduceus. You’ve given me a lot to thank about.”

“Glad to be of service.”

There was a sudden scuffling through the trees, and the rest of the Mighty Nein made their way into camp, arguing loudly.

“I’m telling you Fjord, fish like the rain-“

“A light rain maybe, but even fish find that kind of downpour too wet to handle-“

“Did you have any luck?” Caleb interrupted. 

Jester bounded over. “Nott and Fjord didn’t catch _any._ They actually slipped on some mud when it got super rainy and fell into the river; it was _really_ funny. But Beau caught two with her bare hands! It was the best thing ever.”

“This monk shit’s useful for more than just fighting,” Beau said proudly, waving one fish in each fist.

“That’s just great. Here, I can cook those up, I’ve been wanting to try a new recipe that I think you’ll all really like,” Caduceus said, taking the fish and making his way over to grab cooking supplies from their packs.

Nott settled on the ground next to Caleb. “You look a bit wet. Did the rain catch you while you were tending the horses?” 

“Yes, but they’re settled in for the night,” Caleb said, giving her a small smile. “And it’s just a little water. I will be fine.”

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I had this idea while they were in Nicodranas, wrote half of it, then forgot about it. I edited it a little to take place when they eventually leave the sailing life behind (so ready for that moment!) But it’s been a while since I’ve seen the episode with the events in question, so bear with me if there are any inaccuracies.


End file.
